You Were Blue
by Water Wolf 100
Summary: Two years have passed since the incident on Isla Nublar. The Mitchell family is healing the scars of the past. But the Masrani Corp have different plans. When they plan to reopen the park no one knows what, or who, they will find on the island. But as Owen and the brothers explore the forest they come across a familiar face. But not all reunions are happy. /some mild swearing/
1. Part 1

**You Were Blue**

* * *

The bitter chill of the mid-winter wind was something Claire would never get used to. The vast majority of her early life spent in southern California, and her professional life in the humid tropics of Central America set her love of heat in stone.

However, there was one reason that she was willing to brave the chill of the Utah winter—her nephews.

Since the Jurassic World disaster Claire had made a tremendous effort to be involved in the lives of her family. She had been to every birthday, holiday, and anniversary that had taken place over the past two years. A two week long trip to Utah was spent helping the family adjust to one less family member in the house; as Karen and Scott's divorce became finalized eight months after the incident in the park.

Last year had been brutal on the family. The scars of almost losing her children, coupled with the all too fresh memory of her failed marriage rattled Karen. It pained Claire to see her sister that way. She hoped this year would be different. A time to celebrate survival, rather than dwelling on the nightmare that never ended. That was what brought Claire to Utah now.

The family was assembled in the living room. A roaring fire created an ambiance of contentment. Her sister was curled in an arm chair with a novel spread across her lap. She had begun reading more after the divorce as a way to calm herself. It was working. Zach occupied the couch mindlessly channel surfing. Claire and Gray sat on the floor at the coffee table with a puzzle they had been working on, matching hot chocolate mugs sat at the far end.

Claire sighed. She was more relaxed now than she had been in months. In place of her sensible pantsuits, skirts, and heels were oversized sweaters, sweatpants and slippers. She snapped another piece to the puzzle in place and sipped at her drink.

Without warning Zach bolted up from the couch.

"Zach, what's wrong?" Karen asked, looking up from her book. Her elder son gave no reply. Rather he pointed at the TV, his mouth hanging open in shock. The family followed his direction and viewed the images before them.

Karen's hand flew to her mouth. A strangled gasp escaped her lips. Gray stared unblinking, his jaw clenched tightly. He sat frozen in his spot. It took Claire a handful of seconds to process what she was seeing before a single sentence passed her lips.

"What have they done?"

There on the screen was a smiling newswoman. Her words meant nothing. A single line of text beneath her made Claire's blood run cold.

Jurassic World was reopening.

Gray noted that it took approximately seven minutes and thirty-nine seconds for Aunt Claire's phone to start ringing. She answered on the second ring and sprang from the room, yelling angrily at whoever was on the other end of the line.

His mom excused herself from the room and went the same direction that Aunt Claire did. Gray picked himself up off the floor and joined his brother on the couch.

"Why do you think they want to reopen the park?" Gray asked in a soft voice.

"Dunno. Probably because those dumbasses at InGen and Masrani care more about making a profit than people's lives."

Gray considered this. After the Jurassic World Disaster, which the media enjoyed calling it, a lot of people were angry at InGen for all the trouble that they had caused. Between lawsuits, negative news coverage, and people's genuine disinterest in ever going back to the park, InGen suffered enough to call for a closing of the park a year and a half ago.

As far as anyone knew all the dinosaurs that remained on the park were left alone. The island had been left to the reign of the great beasts that were made by InGen.

Gray frowned. "But why now? And how do they expect people to just go back there like nothing ever happened?"

"Beats me. No one in their right mind is going to want to go back there."

"Lowery!" Claire shouted in the phone as she stormed back in the living room with her sister trailing behind her. "You can tell those stuffed shirts at Masrani that if they want me back on that island it'll have to be in a coffin!"

She hung up the phone and tossed it angrily onto the couch.

"What was that about, Aunt Claire?" Zach asked.

"The reopening of the park. They're having a ceremony and the heads of the Masrani Company are inviting as many survivors that they can manage. Lowery said they want me to go down at the end of the week."

"That's stupid! They want survivors to go back to that hellhole?" Zach rose to his feet, fists clenched.

"Zach, language." Karen frowned at her son.

"It's a bunch of PR nonsense. They want to show the world that the survivors beat the old park, not the other way around. And by getting people who were there that day to come back, they think it will make new visitors come."

"Are you gonna go, Aunt Claire?" Gray looked up at her. She could see the fear flashing behind his eyes.

It had taken months of therapy to prevent him from jumping at his own shadow. She knew the thought of going back to the park was tearing him apart inside.

"I don't know, sweetheart. The people at Masrani really want me there. And they're willing to compensate for anyone who comes. But I hate the thought of giving those smug, stuck-up clowns at Masrani the satisfaction of knowing they bribed me back to the island."

Claire lowered herself into the arm chair and rubbed her temples. "And I thought that all this garbage would end once the lawsuits were done."

"You don't have to go, Claire. No one can make you."

"I know, Karen. But part of me thinks it won't be a terrible idea. I could get some…you know…closure."

The room fell silent. It was a very delicate situation. That much was obvious. Ever since the closing of the park, the whole family held on to the notion that Masrani Corporation and InGen had gone too far; and that they did not deserve redemption for what they had worked to create.

The sleepless nights, the panic attacks, the nightmares, and hours in therapy had taken their toll on everyone. Even after two years it wasn't uncommon for Gray to wake up screaming from a nightmare, or for Zach to freeze in terror at a sudden noise or movement. Even Claire had her fair share of sleepless nights where memories from that day played in her head on an endless loop.

It had been two years. But they were nowhere close to be healed from the experience. Even Karen, who hadn't been on the island, would wake up suddenly with an overwhelming fear that something had happened to her boys.

"Aunt Claire," Gray whispered. The redhead looked at her youngest nephew.

Gray bit his bottom lip nervously. He opened his mouth several times without managing to say anything.

"Aunt Claire," he repeated finally. "I think I want to go back to the island."

For a moment there was silence. Then Karen started shouting.

"No. No, no, no, no and no!" Karen started flailing her arms around, her face growing red. "There is absolutely no way that you're going back there. You and your brother are staying right here. If your aunt wants to go back, then she can and I can't stop her. But the two of you aren't going anywhere!"

"But, Mom!"

"But, Mom nothing. You two aren't going. End of discussion."

Karen crossed her arms and glared at her youngest child. She almost lost him once and she was adamant in keeping him safe and far away from Jurassic World.

"Honey, why do you want to go?" Claire asked.

Gray shrugged. "Like you said, Aunt Claire. Closure. Maybe going back will be enough to convince me that I'm not afraid. I don't want to be scared anymore."

"If Gray goes, then I will too," Zach stated. Gray looked at his brother and grinned.

"Really?" the younger Mitchell muttered in awe. Just minutes ago Zach had made it clear he had no intention of every setting foot within a hundred miles of Isla Nublar.

"Well someone needs to make sure you don't do something dumb. Guess I'll have to take the job." Zach nudged Gray's ribs playfully.

The boys shared a brief wordless exchange. Their shared experience brought the brothers closer together and they were each other's strongest support. They stuck together then, and they both knew that they had to stick together now.

Karen let out a defeated sigh. "You father is going to have my head for this. I just know it."

"Leave Scott to me, Karen. I can be pretty persuasive. And don't worry. I'll take good care of the boys," Claire said.

"I know you will. As long as you promise to take good care of yourself too."

"You have yourself a deal."

The ferry chugged along. The dull waters of the Pacific Ocean extended endlessly in every direction. Claire, Gray, and Zach stood at the back of a crowd of people. The air was tense with uncertainty.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen. We will be docking at Isla Nublar in five minutes. Please ensure that you have collected all your personal belongings. We hope that you have enjoyed your ride. Welcome back to Jurassic World."

The voice of the woman on the loud speaker cut out. Gray almost laughed at the fact that the last time he heard this announcement; people had rushed to the front of the ferry to get their first glimpse of Isla Nublar. This time, however; no one moved.

"Excuse me."

Claire looked up to see a young woman that had pushed her way to the back of the ferry. Her light hair was pulled high off her neck and dark shades filled most of her face. Her eyes were drawn to an empty shirt sleeve. Claire knew that many people had suffered loss of life and limb during the pterosaur attack on Main Street. She had spoken to many survivors during the trails, but the sight still jarred her.

"Can I help you?" Claire asked, remembering that it was rude to stare.

"You're Claire Dearing, aren't you?"

"That's right."  
The woman chuckled. "They asked you to come back here as well? I'm not surprised. You're the face of Jurassic World Survival. You and Owen Grady, of course. Did they convince him to come back as well?"

Claire stiffened. Despite the near one hundred degree temperature she felt a rush of goosebumps invade her skin. The very mention of Owen's name held her at a loss of words.

Zach reacted quickly. "We aren't sure. There's a chance of it. But now we really need to get going. Looks like we're here." He pushed his aunt forward with Gray following on his heels.

When they were a safe distance from the prying woman they stopped.

"Thank you, Zach," Claire muttered.

In the days leading to their departure for Isla Nublar Claire had thought of every possible situation that they might find themselves in. She had a plan if they were stopped by the media, if they came across any sort of dinosaur, even if she found herself face to face with Dr. Wu. But, master organizer Claire Dearing hadn't thought of what would happen if she ran into _him_.

"Let's go, boys." Claire forced herself to regain composure. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past. It wasn't time for her to think of the hours she spent crying or the heartbreak that still crept up from time to time. Now was time for facing Jurassic World.

The ferry had docked and people were beginning to mill out onto the boardwalk. A surprising number of people had come today. There was no fanfare. No kids urging their parents to walk faster. No squeals of excitement. People kept to themselves as they marched up the boardwalk towards the park's entrance.

"Where do we go now?" Gray asked.

"They're gathering everyone on Main Street," Claire noted, looking at an e-mail on her phone from Lowery. She knew her former coworkers all planned on coming to the reopening, and she hoped to catch up with them soon.

"Right. Because that was such a great idea last time," Zach huffed sarcastically.

No one argued with him.

In the two years since the closing of Jurassic World, Masrani had worked to clean up Main Street. When Claire left it had been in ruins. Buildings were toppled; debris littered the ground from the fight between the Indominus and Rexy. Even the fence guarding from the Mosaurus enclosure had been repaired perfectly. Spare no expense after all.

No one seemed sure of what to do. Some stood around in small groups. Other folks were wandering around looking at the repairs to the park.

"Right. Come on you two. Let's go see what's going on." Claire led the way through crowds of people. She was good at pretending to be in control.

 _The key to a happy life is accepting you are never actually in control._

Simon Masrani had always said that, but Claire had a hard time accepting it. Even now. She needed control and order in her life, even if she had to fake it.

In the past two years keeping control of every aspect of her life had been the only thing preventing her from going insane. She scheduled every minute of her day. The only time she ever broke her schedule was when she was visiting her family. It was in those times that she forced herself to relax and let go of the overwhelming urge to take charge of a situation. She was born to plan, organize, and structure. Just as the dinosaurs on this island were born to hunt and eat.

Accepting that she wasn't going to find anything out anytime soon, Claire turned to her nephews. "All right, boys," she said, fishing her wallet from her bag. "I'm going to track down Lowery and see what's going on. I want the two of you to go grab us some lunch, all right? Then meet me back in front of the visitor center in thirty minutes. Understand?"

"Sure thing, Claire." Zach took the credit card his aunt extended to him.

The brothers watched as Claire disappeared into the crowd.

"Come on, Gray. Let's go find some chow."

It was nearly lunchtime and already the lines were impossibly long at every restaurant and snack shop in sight. The pair walked past the more crowded locations in search of something quick.

Halfway down Main Street Gray froze. His eyes locked on an unoccupied piece of pavement.

"Gray?" Zach asked, returning to his brother's side. "Hey man, you can't just stop like that. What's going on?"

Gray didn't respond. When he had a flashback to something in the park everything else around him was muffled. He barely heard Zach's voice.

He knew this exact spot. There were people running everywhere. Screaming voices deafened him as the roar of Pterodons screeched overhead. Zach had clenched his shoulders tightly as he shielded him from an attack. It was in this spot that Zara stood when one of the dinosaurs snatched her right in front of them. She hadn't stood a chance.

"That's the spot," Gray whispered. Already he felt a tightening in his chest. Panic swelled up inside him. Gray wanted to desperately to not have a panic attack while he was here.

"What are you talking about?" Zach asked. He looked at the road where Gray was staring. The older Mitchell didn't understand what had upset his brother so badly.

"That's where Zara was taken. Right there." Gray pointed to the road.

Zach finally understood. He remembered all too well. The woman's screams were something he heard in his nightmares for months. For a long time, Zach had struggled with the guilt of the danger he put them all into with his choices. And Zara's death had been part of it. Zach knew that if he hadn't led himself and Gray from their unenthused nanny she would probably still be alive.

"Come on. Let's go." Zach put an arm around Gray's shoulders and led him in the opposite direction.

Slowly Gray felt his breathing return to normal and the tightness that gripped his chest dissipated. What had happened to Zara wasn't anyone's fault. It was a tragic accident, just like the rest of the Jurassic World incident. It didn't make him feel any better about it though.

Zach tapped his arm, causing Gray to look up. His brother pointed at a restaurant with a shorter line than the others.

"Found our lunch. Come on."

The brothers joined the line, inching closer to the front. It was slow moving. For being the shortest line in the park it seemed to be taking the longest to get anything done.

All around them people shoved and jostled them as they pushed past to their destinations.

Gray yelped in surprise as a firm hand gripped his shoulder. A pair of calm blue eyes looked down at him.

"Excuse me, young man. I'm looking for two brothers. One is about this tall," he put his hand on the top of Gray's head, "and the other sulks a lot."

Gray's smile split it two. "Owen!" He wrapped his arms around the man's chest."

"I didn't think I'd run into you two boys here," Owen said, patting Gray on the shoulder. "Zach, how you been, man?"

He extended his free hand out to the older teen.

"Better, knowing you came." Zach returned the handshake.

Owen's eyes darted around as he studied the crowd of people. "Where's Claire?"

"She went looking for Lowery and Vivian."

"Oh. Well, tell her I said hey."

Zach raised an eyebrow. He knew something had happened between his aunt and Owen, but she refused to tell them anything about it. All she said was that they were too different.

Gray lightly tugged on the older man's elbow. "You should come with us, Owen."

With a small grin, Owen shook his head. "Sorry, kid. I've got a different agenda than listening to Masrani yuppies."

"Where are you going?" Gray asked. "Isn't the point of coming here to hear what they had to say about reopening the park?"

Zach smirked. "You're going to see the dinosaurs aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," Owen said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I want to see how many have survived alone out here these past few years."

Gray and Zach exchanged nervous glances that didn't go unnoticed. "Do the two of you want to come? I can get you back here before the events start. Just a peek around the edge of the forest."

"Aunt Claire would freak," Zach admitted.

"But, Zach," Gray said to his brother, "I kinda want to see what happened out there.

"You sure? We can stay here if you want to."

Gray bit his bottom lip. He paused for a moment before quietly saying, "I want to see it."

* * *

 **Hello there, I'm Wolfie. Just wanted to give a quick introduction now that you're done with part one of my story. I've worked for months on this project and I'm so happy with how it turned out. I own nothing from this, nor do I want to. If this was my franchise, I'd probably accidentally destroy it. And I have too much love for Jurassic Park series to let that happen. Enjoy part two.**

 **Peace out,**

 **Wolfie**


	2. Part 2

**You Were Blue Part 2**

* * *

The jeep rattled down the forgotten road sending jolts of shock with every hole and bump. No one spoke. Owen's knuckles were beginning to ache from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.

"It isn't too late to turn back if you want. I can take you two back to Claire and you can enjoy the rest of the party."

"We've come this far." Zach didn't break his gaze from the expanding tree line that marked the edge of the road.

In the backseat Gray had yet to open his mouth. He watched the passing greenery of the valley speed alongside of him, too lost in the past to pay any mind to the conversation.

"Gray? Gray!" The sharp calling of his name snapped Gray back the present. Zach, turned around in his seat, gave him a puzzled look.

"What did you say?" Gray asked.

"Do you want to keep going? Or head back to Aunt Claire?"

"Let's keep going. I want to see," he repeated for the hundredth time. That wasn't entirely true. Gray didn't _want_ to see what had become of the park. He _needed_ to see.

The island that had once sparked so much imagination and curiosity in him was now the source of the nightmares that kept him awake at night. And, like any other fear or nightmare, the best way to get over it is to face it. At least that's what he hoped would work.

Owen kept quiet, but continued to maneuver towards the forest. The far-away look in the boys' eyes was one he was all too familiar with. The haunting visions. The chills that ran down your spine on the hottest of days. The nightmares were by far the worst. Owen knew all too well what it was like to have your entire world come undone in your hands. And his heart broke at seeing it happen to these kids.

As abruptly as it began, the journey ended. Owen found that he had no more road to drive on. If they wanted to continue, it would have to be on foot.

The trio exited the jeep and stood at the entrance to the forest.

"Stick close, boys," Owen said, shifting his gun to his other arm. "We don't know what's in there anymore."

Owen crossed the threshold into the trees, with Zach and Gray on his heels.

Inside the dense brush it proved difficult to get a sense of any direction. Spiraling trees guarded against the strong sunlight, allowing just enough to filter through to create elongated shadows. Ferns stretched to the sky, willing their leaves to reach the sunlight.

The first thing Zach noticed in the trees was the silence. This far away he could no longer hear the low rumble of the people in the park. The world stood still in here. The only recognition that he was not alone was the sound of snapping branches under the feet of himself, Owen and Gray. The lack of noise was deafening.

After twenty minutes of silence, Gray was the first to speak.

"What used to be here, Owen?"

"This was the off-season feeding ground for several herds. When attendance ran low, they would move the herds from the south end of the island to the west to let the plants regrow."

"Are there any dinosaurs out here?"

"Could be. From what I've heard, Masrani has been letting them do whatever they want out here. It's more the dinosaur's island than anyone else's. Which, frankly, it should be because—"

Owen was cut off by a deep bellowing sound that resonated through the trees. With the sound bouncing from the trunks it was impossible to determine the source.

Acting on instinct alone Gray gipped the sleeve of his brother's jacket. His blue eyes bore through the dark overgrowth. He wished with all his might that the creature that made the sound was moving in a different direction.

Gun ready, Owen held up two fingers to motion for the brothers to follow him. They scurried from the main trail to crouch by a tree trunk.

Zach's voice came as an almost inaudible whisper. "What is it, Owen?"

"Dunno. Wait here. I'm going to go look and come right back." He got up and shuffled back where they had just been.

He had only gone 10 feet when he stopped and turned. "Do not move from that spot until I come back. Understand?" Matching nods.

Satisfied Owen continued through the thick overgrowth. Gray and Zach were alone in the forest of Isla Nublar. Again.

"Zach?" Gray's voice broke slightly. "Was this a bad idea? Maybe we should have gone back to Aunt Claire when we had the chance."

The 18 year old shook his head.

"If we hadn't done this you would have regretted it. So would I. From the day we came home from this place, the memory of it has done nothing but terrorize us. We need to put an end to it. Now."

"I know. But ever since we got here I keep thinking I'll turn around and that monster will be behind us again. I'm terrified, but I don't want to be anymore. So I'll keep going."

"We'll go together."

Gray smiled. Knowing he wasn't alone gave him some level of peace.

"Zach! Gray!" Owen's voice came sharp through the trees. Both seized up, expecting to be told to run, or to see a dinosaur come crashing through the trees. Neither happened.

"Zach! Gray! Boys, come see this!" Owen didn't sound afraid. He sounded excited.

Zach looked down at his brother. He nodded and together they went looking for Owen. They found him not far from the main trail in the woods.

Owen's frame became visible through the trees. He was nestled between two trunks overlooking a large clearing. Stepping aside for Zach and Gray; he pointed across the grassy meadow.

Following the trail of his finger, Gray and Zach saw what he had called them for. Three dinosaurs rested only 100 feet from where they stood.

"Apatosaurus," Gray said, confidently. "The park has lots of them."

Zach marveled at the size of lizards. Two of them stood by the trees nearly two stories tall. They stuck their long necks deep into the leaves of the trees away from his view. The snap of the branches echoed across the field. The third dinosaur rested in the sun, its tail and neck curved into a delicate semi-circle. With its eyes closed the creature seemed completely at rest.

Even further away were other species. Gray recognized Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Ankylosaurs clustered together in small groups. All of the animals were grazing or resting in the warm afternoon sun.

"Found the source of the noise. Nothing to worry about. These guys won't cause any trouble." Owen never took his eyes from the Apatosaurus in front of them.

The last time he looked at one of these beautiful animals, it had died in his arms. Seeing life go on after such tragedy gave him more comfort than anything.

"Owen, thanks for taking us out here," Gray finally said. "I wasn't sure if I even wanted to come back to the park. But seeing this makes it OK."

Smiling at the young teen, Owen affectionately ruffled Gray's hair. Gray grinned and for a moment Owen saw a flash of what this boy used to be like. Long before the scars of Jurassic World sunk deep into him. Owen saw a boy with knowledge, passion, and a thirst to understand the world around him.

The wonder from his eyes faded rapidly though. And the cautious, untrusting gaze returned. The waking nightmare resumed.

"Let's go see if we can find any more of the herd," Zach suggested. He knew the look in his brother's eyes. He was remembering it. The Indominus Rex. In a field just like this one was the last time their lives were OK. Before they went into the forest and it all went to hell. Those memories were ones that Zach locked tight. It was harder for Gray, but he was learning to cope. What he needed right now was to take his mind off of the past.

"Sure. The meadow runs quite a ways down. If we get near the river we might find some Parasaurolophus by the watering hole." Owen opted to trek through the woods rather than the open field. Too much exposure there.

Zach fell into step beside Gray. "Say the word and we can go back," the elder Mitchell whispered.

"I want to keep going." Gray still wasn't sure if he was convincing his brother, or himself of this. He knew what he needed to do, but every shred of his instinct told him to go back. Gray knew that if Zach and Owen could be brave, then he could too.

Nothing else moved in the forest. Gray found himself baking in his t-shirt and shorts. He promised himself a massive glass of lemonade when they got back to Main Street.

As they walked Gray had a strange feeling. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Despite the unwavering heat, he felt chilled. Gray didn't know how he knew, but there was something nearby. Something was watching them.

"Wait!" Gray nearly shouted. He concentrated on the trees, looking for any sign of life or movement. Anything. Something made his skin crawl and he was determined to find out what.

"What's wrong?" Owen asked.

"I-I don't know. I just feel like we aren't alone out here. It's like something is watching us."

"There's all sorts of small dinos and birds living here. Anything big enough to hurt you would be making a lot more commotion. Let's keep moving."

"No, I'm positive. There's something here." Gray stood rooted to his spot.

Zach sighed in irritation. "Man, let's go. There's nothing here."

"How about I take a thirty second look around. If I don't find anything we head back. Your aunt's head has probably exploded by now."

Gray nodded. Owen doubled back in the direction they came and slipped from sight. Once he was gone, Gray started walking in the other direction.

"Gray! What in the world are you doing?" Zach called.

"I know there's something here. I want to; no, I need to find it." Gray didn't look back, but kept walking.

In a few short strides Zach caught up and was walking alongside his younger brother. "Fine, but if Owen gets pissed this one is on you."

Gray chuckled and pushed past a large, leafy plant.

He looked all around for any sign of life. Nothing seemed to be nearby. Maybe it was his imagination and paranoia. Gray was starting to feel ridiculous.

A sound broke through the trees. A low, throaty bark. A shiver went down his spine.

"Zach," Gray hissed, reaching out for his brother's wrist. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." Zach's voice was low. He knew the sound. Possibly the most dangerous creature in the park.

Very close-by was a Velociraptor.

"We need to go. Now." Pulling Gray with him, Zach began to back up in the direction they came.

Owen'll know what to do. Right?"

Zach didn't respond. Last time they saw the raptors they obeyed Owen. But that was two years ago. Who knew if they even remembered him still? Zach didn't want to wait around to find out.

Gray froze. "Zach. I see it. Over there, by that tree." He pointed to a dying trunk not ten feet from where they stood.

Laying at its base was a raptor. As Gray studied the reptile, something didn't seem right.

"Zach, I think it's sick." He broke free from his brother's grasp and inched toward the tree.

Every survival instinct in his brain told Gray to run, but something compelled to keep moving closer. He ignored the urgent calls from Zach to come back. One step at a time.

5 feet away. The dinosaur let out another low chirp but remained where it was. Another step.

A few more steps and he would be next to it. Still no movement. Gray's entire body shook.

Bloody images flashed in his mind. Hoskins screeching in pain as the raptor sunk its teeth into his flesh. The raptors working as a pack to hunt him and his family.

He was there. Standing next to the Velociraptor. He knew who it was.

"Hi there, Blue," Gray said crouching on the balls of his feet. Blue, recognizing her name, shifted her head slowly to look at him. She didn't make a sound.

Zach had finally worked up the courage to come forward. He knelt next to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder, thankful that he was all right.

Gray's voice quaked. "Something's wrong with her."

Blue tried to lift her head, but only managed to get it a few inches off the ground before collapsing. Her breathing was shallow. Gray noticed that her chest barely rose and fell.

Nowhere on her did Gray see any kind of injury. Whatever was wrong, it was bad, and it looked like it was killing her.

"Zach! Gray! Where are you?" Owen's voice rang through the trees, his panic evident.

"We're over here!" Zach called back. He didn't move, having no intention to leave Gray alone with Blue.

He turned his eyes back to the dinosaur. She had opened her eyes more, cocking her head towards the sound of Owen's voice. A second time she tried to lift her head, but didn't make it half as far as she did the time before.

There was a sound of snapping branches, followed by Owen swearing.

"Where the hell do you two think you were doing? Claire is already going to lose it when she finds out I brought you out here. How do you think she's going to handle finding out that you walked out…" Owen cut off his yelling with a sharp inhale.

For several seconds he didn't move. Owen took in the sight before him unbelieving of what he saw. Somehow, against all possible outcomes, he came across the one dinosaur that he regretted having to leave more than anything; the one creature who kept him awake at night thinking of her loyalty and determination to fight for him. Blue was in front of him.

"Blue?" Owen whispered.

Gray and Zach scrambled out of the way as Owen crept forward.

"Hey there, girl. It's OK, it's just me. Remember me, Blue?" Owen sat on the ground next to the pack beta. She stirred at the sound of his voice, but didn't move.

Carefully Owen reached out and patted her head. Blue hissed lightly. "Shhh, it's all right. It's all right. I'm sorry I had to leave you. I'm so sorry, Blue."

"What's wrong with her?" Gray asked.

Owen didn't respond for a moment. He simply sat with his hand on Blue's head. Finally he turned to face the boys.

"Velociraptors are pack hunters. They work together to take down other dinosaurs and all feed together. A single raptor doesn't have the speed or power to hunt on its own. Nothing of any substantial size at least. Charlie, Delta, and Echo all died two years ago. Blue hasn't been able to hunt since then. And there isn't enough small game on the island to keep her sustained."

"She's starving?"

"Yes, Zach. She's starving. And not just that. She's dying."

"No. She can't be," Gray whispered.

"She is, kiddo. There's nothing I can do." Owen couldn't bring himself to look either of the brothers in the eyes. He didn't want them to see him so upset. So broken. While he maintained a strong bond with all of his raptors, Blue was special. She was the eldest, the one who led the others to obey him. They had a connection that couldn't be explained.

Owen recalled the day she hatched. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes on. From that moment he knew that there was nothing he'd want to do, other than work with this animal. Her pure, primal power and intelligence earned his respect from that first day. And now she was reduced to scavenging for scraps while starving to death.

"But…" Gray paused. "She saved our lives. She can't die. Not like this."

"Are you sure you can't do anything?" Zach asked. He watched Owen carefully. He noticed the man's body trembling. Zach couldn't begin to imagine how much pain Owen was in right now from seeing Blue like this.

Owen rubbed the back of his head. He grimaced as he finally looked away from Blue and turned his head to Zach and Gray. The two watched him intently. Gray looked close to tears. He rocked slightly and was muttering something to himself. Zach's expression remained stoic as ever. His hands; however were clenched tightly into fists, shaking and trembling with such ferocity that Owen thought the teen was ready to take a swing at the nearest tree in sheer frustration and anger.

"There's only one thing I can do," Owen finally said grimly. "I can put her out of her misery so she isn't suffering anymore."

"No!" Gray hollered. "There has to be another way!" The floodgates burst. All the emotion that Gray was trying to keep in control released at once.

In an instant Zach's entire body language changed. He grabbed Gray's shoulders, dropping down to one knee to be at eye level with his brother.

"Gray, look at me. Come on, man. Owen's right. You know he is."

Gray took a long shaky breath. "That doesn't make it fair."

"No, it isn't fair. You're right. Blue saved our lives. Should we let her suffer any more than she already has?"

Sniffling, Gray shook his head. "You're sure this is the only thing you can do?" He looked up at Owen.

Owen got up from where he sat next to Blue and crouched in front of Gray. "If there was anything else I could do, I would. But this is the right thing to do. She's in pain, Gray. A lot of it. And she doesn't deserve to suffer any longer."

"Can I say good-bye to her first?"

Owen flashed a smile. "She would like that."

Zach released his grip on his brother and Gray tip-toed to the dying dinosaur. He sat on the ground next to her head, as Owen had just been doing.

Blue weakly looked up at him and blinked. She let out a soft chirp, but didn't move. She didn't have the strength to do anything more.

Slowly, Gray reached out his trembling hand to stroke the length of her snout as he watched her breathing in and out. She let out a contented sigh. Gray marveled at the smoothness of her scales under his fingers. All his life, he had wanted nothing more than to touch a dinosaur; and every part of him was screaming at how it wasn't fair that these were the circumstances that it had to happen.

"Blue," he said softly. "I'm sorry this has to happen. You saved us, and this is what you get. Thank you for helping us. Zach, Owen, Aunt Claire and I would have all been killed if it hadn't been for you. Good-bye."

He stroked the raptor's head one final time before getting up and joining his brother and Owen. He wiped his eyes and nodded at the older man. He knew what had to be done.

"Thanks, Blue," Zach mumbled. "You saved us all."

"Zach, why don't you and Gray head back to the trail. I'll, uh, I'll meet you there when I'm done. And don't wander off."

"You got it, Owen," Zach replied. He put a hand on Gray's back and the pair of them walked back to the trail.

Owen was alone with Blue. He set his rifle on the ground and positioned himself next to Blue, with her head on his lap. She wasn't a danger to anyone in this state. And he wanted her to be comfortable for at least a few seconds.

"You know, old girl, you were a right piece of work sometimes. Like when you almost ate that kid in the training pit. Or the number of times you almost killed me. But I never expected anything different from you. You were Blue and I was Owen. And even though at any moment you could have killed me, we worked. You and I were a team, and we always will be. No matter what happens you're always going to be my girl."

Blue shuddered. She growled lightly. Owen wanted to take it as a sign that she was agreeing with him. That deep down she knew that what they had was different than any dinosaur and handler.

"I'm not going to let this go. Every day I'm going to show those damn fools at InGen and the world that dinosaurs deserve our respect. Because, with the right bonding they can be more loyal and protective than any human ever could. Losing you won't be meaningless. I promise."

Owen trailed off, simply sitting in the sun with his raptor as she slowly breathed in and out. The sun broke through a spot in the trees, casting a brilliant shade of gold in the forest. It was a peaceful place. All Owen wanted to do was stay there with Blue and pretend the rest of the world didn't exist. That's how it had been before InGen ruined it all and took everything from him.

"The world is a big place, Blue. I can't ignore it anymore. I know that. But for a while, it sure was nice. Just you, me and the rest of the pack. But those times are over. And I'm so sorry. But nothing can stay the same forever. As the world changes we need to change with it. There isn't a place for old timers like us in it anymore."

Owen lifted Blue's head from his lap and stood. He couldn't put this off any longer. It wouldn't be fair to Blue. And he couldn't be selfish. As much as he wanted Blue to live, pretending that she could get better was just hurting her more.

Owen picked up his rifle. He pointed it right between her eyes. The raptor watched him with her last strength. Owen saw it then in her eyes. Pleading. A wish to go with dignity. Begging him to do what had to be done.

"I'm sorry."

He pulled the trigger.

The sound echoed through the forest. Back on the trail Zach and Gray flinched when they heard the gun go off. Gray, having finally stopped crying, whimpered.

"She's gone," he whispered.

"Yeah, she is."

Zach and Gray waited on the trail, as Owen instructed. When he finally emerged from the trees, neither brother had the heart to say anything to him. The tormented look on his face was more than enough.

He shifted the gun to his other shoulder. "I, uh, think it's time we head back. Claire has probably torn the place apart by now looking for the two of you."

As the trio walked back to the Jeep, Owen made a list in his head. Lists always helped him figure things out. Put them in their natural order.

Step 1: Get back to the Jeep

Step 2: Get Zach and Gray back to Claire

Step 3: Apologize to Claire…for everything

Step 4: Survive

As the Jeep came into view at the edge of the forest, Owen realized that in order to finish his list he would need to learn to survive in the world. And that meant adapting.

* * *

 **I struggled a lot with finding a good place to end this. I liked how the movie ended with some speculation as to what they would do next, and I wanted to reflect that in the story. Please let me know your thoughts. Hope you enjoyed You Were Blue.**

 **Peace out,**

 **Wolfie**


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